Suit of armor.



j. C. HAWLEY.

SUIT 0F ARMOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6| l9l8.

bww,

Pqtented J une 18, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lll

lili

all)

lid

ilwm @METER HMWVLlEW, UW ELMKSJBUR, mmrlllll'lld.

naeaaao,

tpeclucatlon el lettera Patent.

Patented daniela, Mld.

.application tletll'ebruary t, will. terlal lilo.. alltel?.

To all whom it may conce sa.:

Be it lrnown that ll, dotare @Arran Hawnnv, a citizen ol the United States, residing at Blacksburg, in the county ot Montgomery, State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Suit of Armor; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ol the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved suit or coat of armor tor use by soldiers in general, and particularly by those in the ldrst line trenches and by aviators, in tact by all in every branch oit the service, and one ol' the objects of the invention is to rovide an improved, emcient and practica armor of this lrind, which will act as a thorough 'and complete protection to the wearerls body..

il further object ol" the invention is to provide an entire suit or coat ol armor lor the wearers or soldiers body and constructed in sections, said sections having overlapping joints, the underlapping parts of which having elastic means, in order to hug the various parts el the body tightly.

'A further object oit the invention is to provide overlapping parts ot said joints with movable sections, which are joined by elastic means, whereby said sections may give and accommodate themselves to the movements of the body ot the wearer.

A further object oil the invention is to provide a suit or coat ol armor having a body section to nt the body ol the wearer, the upper part of the body section having a shoulder and neck elastic section, adapted to stretch over the arms, the shoulders and the head of the wearer when the body section is slipped onto the body of the wearer, the arms of the wearer having been moved straight upwardly over the head ol the wearer, so as to pass through the openings of the elastic shoulder section,

A further object of the invention is the provision ol a suit or coat of armor having a helmet section constructed oil two parts hingedly united, so as to tit the head ot the wearer, said helmetsection having cape or` shoulder sections hingedly connected to the helmet, and being in turn elastically united, so as to give and accommodate themselves to the wearerls body,I

ln practical heide the details all construeun tion may necessitate alterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

ln the drawings Figure l is a view in perspective, showing the application of the suit or coat ot armor as applied to the body of a wearer.

lFig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the armor.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view ot the body section oli the armor.,

llig. d is an enlarged detail perspective view of thc trouser section of the armor.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on line 5-5 of l ig. l, showing ythe connections between the sleeve sections and the elastic shoulder sections, "and illustrating how the cape or shoulder sections of the helmet overlap the upper part ot the sleeve section.

l? ig. 6 is a detail sectional View showing the sections ot one of the legs ol the trousers.

Referring more especially to the drawings, l designates the body section ot the armor, and 2 denotes the legs of the trousersection. 'llhe trouser section ol the armor is provided with a suitable trunk section 3 constructedv of any suitable elastic material preferably rubber, and which is secured by rivets or the like d to the trouser legs 2. The lower ends of the trouser` legs having hingedly connected thereto as shown at 5 movable sections 6, which are arranged edgewise to each other, and are connected or joined by elastic bands 7, whereby the sections 6 may give and accommodate themselves to the movements ol the knees of the legs of the wearer. 'lhe legging sections 8 are of Sudicient size in cross section, to permit the legs of the -wearer and the feet to easily pass therethrough, and yet when said sections are on the legs oli the wearer they will lit in order to avoid excessive looseness ot' play.. Secured by rivets l0 or the like to the upper parts ot the legging sections are linee-cap sections 9, which may be constructed ol any suitable elastic material preferably rubber, so as to snugly nt the leg just above the linee, and to give readily as the knee bends, and yet act to hold ythe sections 8 in place,l rlhe sections t ol the legs 2 ot the trousers over-` lap the elastic lmee cap sections 9, in orderv to protect those portions ot the legs ot the wearer, IVlllie lower marginal edge ot the 'lll lll@

body section 1 has hingedly connected thereto as at 11 movable sections 12, which are united edgewise by means of a suitable elastic band 13. These sections 12 overlap the trunk section 3 in order to protect the same, and are capable of giving and accommodating themselves to the movements of the body. Secured to the upper marginal portion of the body section by means of rivets or the like 14.- is a shoulder section 15, constructed of any suitable elastic material preferably rubber. This shoulder section has arm parts 16 and a neck portion 17. In attaching the body section 1 to the body it is passed telescopically down over the body of the wearer, the arms having been disposed perpendicularly, so as to pass through the arm parts 16, whereby the head may pass through and stretch the neck portion 17. Each sleeve of the armor consists of the sections 18 and 19. The section 18 is secured by rivets or the like 20 to an arm part 16,

land its lower marginal edge has connected to it hingedly as shown at 21 the movable sections 22, which are united edgewise by an elastic band 23, whereby the sections 22 may give and accommodate themselves to the bending of the elbow. The section 19 of the sleeve has secured to its upper part an elastic portion 24, which hugs the arm just above the elbow, and this portion 24 is covered by the sections 22. The helmet section 25 of the armor consists of two parts, the back head part 26 and the front head and face part 27, which are hingedly united as at 28, and adapted t0 be latched by the hook or other fastener 29, when fitted to the head of the wearer. The upper part of the helmet section as shown corresponds to the shape of a soldiers hat or cap, and the lower part of the helmet section has a neck portion 30, to correspond and it the shape of the neck of the wearer. Hinged at 31 to the lower marginal edge of the neck portion are movable sections 32 to overlie the shoulder section 15 of thearmor so as to protect the same. These sections 32 are united edgewise by means of an elastic band 33, in order to give and accommodate themselves to the movements of the shoulders of the body of the wearer.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful issl.. In a coat or suit of armor, a helmet section, a body section, and trunk and trouser section, said body section havin sleeves, said parts consisting of sections, sai sections having overlapped joints, the overlapping parts comprising movable edgewise elastically united parts, the underlapping portions of the joints consisting of elastic material to tightly hug various parts of th body of the wearer.

2. In a suit or coat of armor, a helmet section comprising hingedly united half parts, a body section, said body section having sleeves, separately consisting of sections, trunk, and trouser sections, all of said sections having overlapping joints, the overlapping parts, each consisting of movable edgewise elastically united portions.

8. A suit or coat of armor, comprising a helmet section consisting of hingedly united parts, a body section having sleeves, each consisting of sections, the body section having an elastic shoulder part, the neck of the helmet 1 having hingedly connected to its lower marginal edge movable parts edgewise elastically united overlying the elastic shoulder parts of the body section, a trouser section comprising a trunk part and trouser legs, each le consisting of sections, the trunk part bemg constructed of elastic material, the lower marginal edge of the body section having movable members edgewise elastically united overlying the trunk part, all of said sections being separably united.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH CARTER HAWLEY.

Witnesses:

R. W. CREAsY, JAMES M. BROWN. 

